(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan police were on Saturday banned from for pulling over vehicles for inspection while clad in civvies following the fatal shooting of a truck driver by a muft-clad drunken policeman.
The order was issued by the island nation’s Actg. Police Chief Deshabandu Tennakoon following wide spread criticism of police excesses throughout the country.
The suspect policeman along with his deputy has since been suspended from duties and are currently in remand.
The police for their part have offered the victim’s family a sum of Rs. One million for funeral expenses.
Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon says he has issued fresh instructions on Friday (19 Jan.) to all police stations to refrain from pulling over vehicles for inspections while the officers are clad in civilian clothing.
The directive comes on the heels of an incident in the Narammala Police Division, where a lorry driver, 41, was killed after a Police Sub-Inspector (SI) clad in civvies allegedly ‘accidentally’ discharged his firearm during a vehicle inspection.
The police media division said the driver had failed to comply with the signal to stop at a checkpoint in Dampelessa, Narammala.
The concerned SI and a Constable had then chased down the lorry and pulled it over for a spot inspection, following which the SI had allegedly ‘accidentally’ discharged his firearm, critically wounding the driver, who was rushed to the Narammala District Hospital, but succumbed to injuries shortly after.
The SI in question was subsequently arrested and remanded until 23 January on the orders of Narammala Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, earlier today (20 Jan.), the family of the deceased lorry driver received Rs. 1 million in compensation from Sri Lanka Police.
The money was handed over by Acting IGP Tennakoon to the bereaved at the deceased’s residence in Alawwa.
